


Sabotage

by MagnusLightwoodAlecBane



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: First Meetings, Flirting, He gets distracted easily though, M/M, Magnus makes the best plans, Meet-Cute, Super complicated schemes, poor catarina
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-30
Updated: 2019-05-30
Packaged: 2020-03-29 21:03:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19027885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MagnusLightwoodAlecBane/pseuds/MagnusLightwoodAlecBane
Summary: Everyone knows that fanfic where someone's at a bar and someone else comes up to them saying "my ex is in here and I told them I'm dating someone else to not seem like a loser, but I'm not seeing anyone and please pretend you're the one I'm dating?"Yeah. That. But with a twist.





	Sabotage

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from the song [Sabotage ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMCmU858vHk)by Laura Tesoro. Enjoy!

“I swear to you, it’s going to work!”

Magnus raised his voice in excitement. Catarina looked at him skeptically before swirling her drink and looking around the bar. 

“I don’t know Magnus,” she shook her head, “it’s not a very good idea to start something with a lie.”

“It’s not a  _ lie _ , it’s-” Magnus paused to think, “it’s a clever way to-” He broke off. “You’re right. It’s a lie.” He sadly admitted.

 

Catarina saw the sadness on his face and the way he slumped his shoulders in defeat. He had been through so much already, his confidence had gone under zero and he could use this boost for the ego. It had been almost a year of being miserable. The first months he made up excuses to not have to go out with the rest of the friends, the last couple of weeks were a repetition and variation of the words:  _ I don’t need to go talk to them, I’m here with you. _

 

Magnus needed to get out there again. Today he had finally shown interest in someone and because he didn’t believe that his personality would be enough, he had made up some elaborate plan to convince the handsome man at the bar to go on a date with him.

Cat didn’t support the idea in the slightest, but she did support Magnus. So of course, she would help him with this. 

 

“I’ll do it.” She said softly, putting her hand on his arm. Cat fought a smile when she saw Magnus’ reaction. His head snapped up, his eyes went wide in surprise and the corners of his mouth almost reached his ears in a brilliant smile. 

 

“But,” she quickly continued, before he could get too excited, “I am not responsible for the consequences.”

 

Magnus squealed and jumped up to pull her in a bone-crushing hug. 

 

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” 

 

“You can thank me by letting me breathe.” Cat said jokingly, while wrapping her arms tighter around her best friend’s waist. “Don’t mess this up.” She whispered in his ear. 

“I won’t.” Magnus ensured her and released her of the embrace to go over the plan again. 

 

“Okay, he hasn’t looked over here one time, so he doesn’t know who you are. You can go over to the bathroom and I’ll go to the dancefloor, then I get his attention and then-”

 

Catarina interrupted him. “Then I swoop in to be the hero and the villain at the same time.”

“Cat! Pay attention!” Magnus lectured her. “This plan needs to be executed perfectly in order to succeed!” 

 

She loved seeing him like this. Carefree and with a childish enthusiasm that inspired others to think positively as well. This was the man she met when they first became friends. He was happy. She would do anything in her power to preserve that happiness. Even if it meant listening to the brilliant but complicated plan  _ “one more time, I promise this is the last one, Cat!” _

 

Magnus made his way to the dancefloor and sought the perfect spot: close enough to the bar so that the hottie there would see him, but not too close that it was obvious. A couple of minutes later he was swinging his hips to the beat, occasionally glancing towards the bar to see if the man was still there and if he was looking back. He threw all of the grace and elegance he had in his moves, successfully getting the man’s attention. 

 

Never breaking eye contact, Magnus roamed his hands over his torso, purposely hooking his thumb under the hem of his shirt and showing a little skin on his way up. He seductively thrusted his hips and winked at the man, who seemed to be very interested, judging by the burning look in his eyes.

 

Too distracted in seducing the man at the bar, Magnus didn’t realize someone was behind him. She tapped him on the shoulder and he turned around, ready to snap at whoever dared to interrupt the moment he was having. He stopped when he saw it was Catarina. Mind hazy and blurred from the alcohol, excitement and music, he didn’t immediately know why she was there. Cat put her hands on her hips and pulled a face as if to say “Really Magnus, we went over this six times and you still managed to mess up.”

 

Oh right! Magnus quickly changed his confused expression into one of shock and turned towards the bar. He shook off Cat’s hand when she put it on his shoulder and yelled a “not now, Cat!” at her. He practically ran over to the bar and went up to the dark-haired man he had been ogling not two minutes ago. Stopping right in front of the confused man and grabbing his arm - holy shit those biceps - he leaned in to whisper in his ear.

 

“Please help me.” 

 

“Wow! Easy there!” The man pushed him away, “what’s going on?” 

 

Magnus tried to keep a scared expression on his face. “See that woman over there? The one in the black and gold dress?”

 

He continued quickly when the man nodded, “She’s my ex and I told her I would be here with my new boyfriend, but I don’t  _ have  _ a boyfriend! And I don’t want her to think I’m a loser and please?” Magnus rambled, seemingly distraught. 

 

Of all the things that could have happened, Magnus would not have expected the other man to erupt into laughter. He composed himself and hissed between gritted teeth, “what are you doing?” 

“I’m sorry,” the man said between giggles, “I did not see that coming, you can’t blame me.” He grinned and continued before Magnus could say anything. “I’m Alec. You should probably know my name if I’m going to be your boyfriend.”

 

Holy shit! It worked! “You’ll do it?” Magnus exclaimed happily, right before being shut up by two lips on his. Magnus’ hand grabbed onto the first thing it found to steady himself, which was conveniently Alec’s bicep. His eyes slipped closed as his lips moved against Alec’s.

 

Someone cleared their throat behind them and Alec broke the kiss. Now what? Magnus thought, clearly frustrated about someone ruining yet  _ another  _ moment. Cat? Again?

“Buttercup,” she said, “who’s this?” 

 

Right. That’s what they were doing. Wait,  _ buttercup _ ? Magnus shot an angry look at Cat, she was going to regret that! 

 

“Pudding! I didn’t know you were coming with. What are you doing here?” He grinned smugly. 

 

Catarina nearly blew her cover at that, but stayed serious. “Who’s this, Monkeybuns?”

“Well, Shmoopsie Poo, this is Alexander, the boyfriend I told you about.” Alec took that as his cue to slip his hand into Magnus’ back pocket, startling him in the process.

 

Cat gave Alec a once-over, feigning disapproval. “Oh, this one?”  She tutted, “Really, Patootie? I almost feel threatened.” 

 

Alec chose that moment to interfere. “Well, you shouldn’t. You’re gorgeous and seem like a very nice woman.” 

 

Cat dropped her act and looked at Magnus in confusion. He didn’t know what was going on either and shrugged his shoulders. Alec put his other arm around his waist and dropped a kiss on his cheek. “Don’t you think so too, Sweetiepie?” 

 

“I should go,” Cat interrupted before Magnus even decided if he'd agree or not. Magnus gave her a dumbfounded wave and turned back to Alec. 

 

“What was that supposed to be? I’m not trying to make her jealous, I want to piss her off.” He chastised Alec. 

 

“Well, I wouldn’t want to get on your best friend’s bad side.” 

 

Oh shit. “You knew? How did you find out?” 

  
  


“I saw you in the booth, how could I not, you’re the most breathtaking man in the room. That woman was with you already and you seemed very close. I saw the look on her face when you were down about something, so I figured she was or your girlfriend, or your best friend. And when you came up to me, telling me she was your ex, I figured it must have been a plan.” 

 

Magnus ducked his head in embarrassment until he felt the hand in his back pocket pinch his ass and then reach up to his face to tilt his chin up. “I’m sorry,” Magnus apologized quickly, “that was inappropriate and I shouldn’t have done that.” 

 

“I know a way you can make it up to me.” Alec said sneakily. 

 

He wasn’t angry? “I’m listening?”

 

“I’ve only heard the supposed ex address you as some very clever and cheesy pet names. But what should I call you?” 

 

“I’m Magnus.”

 

“Well, Magnus,” he rolled his name of his lips, “It’s nice to meet you.”

 

“Likewise. Can I ask you why you played along when you knew what was going on from the start? You could have called me out on it, why didn’t you?”

 

Alec huffed. “And miss out on the chance to kiss you? I’m not crazy.” 

 

“Would you like to do it again sometime?”


End file.
